Paul Verhoeven (1938) is widely regarded as one of the most controversial and accomplished film directors in contemporary cinema. On the eve of his 80th birthday, the time is ripe for a summation of all he has achieved.

Born in the Netherlands on the eve of World War II, Verhoeven's childhood was marked by the trauma of his country's occupation by the Nazi's.After studying mathematics, he gave in to his true calling: the cinema. Since then his artistic output has cut through contemporary culture like a razor blade, producing such films as The Fourth Man, RoboCop, Basic Instinct and Starship Troopers – works dealing with the struggle for survival in a hostile world, the drive for sex, man's inclination for evil, the quest for redemption and man's inability to find true happiness.

In Paul Verhoeven: a Filmmaker’s Life biographer Rob van Scheers – who has been following the director exclusively for over 25 years – tells the fascinating story of Verhoeven and his films, spanning from his youth to the overwhelming international success of his most recent film Elle.